Who said hygienist appointments were relaxing?

[Namechangedforthis25]

That person was talking rubbish

there was a tv with a beach and calming music, also had a pair of sunglasses

the lady said I should relax

I was expecting a spa treatment

I was missold, it hurt like hell on earth

The hygienist does seem relaxing once you’ve been to the periodontist… now that is real torture!

Gosh, are these all British hygienists? I'm in the States and my scruffy, irregular (British) teeth get a good scraping and polishing along with some cleaning in the interdental spaces every 6 months. It's a bit painful at times but not like the sustained agony and sadistic brutalization I'm reading about here! One exits with a very slightly twinging mouth and an air of great virtue! (And my hygienist is courteous, kind, and goes out of her way to make it a not too unpleasant experience.)

That water thing is from hell. Ice cold water shot at your gums with the force of a pressure washer. The scraping was much gentler.

Who said that?

They’re torturous!!

😂😂😂

I refused to go after she damaged a filling. It's too painful as well. My dental hygiene is excellent. I don't need some sadist in my mouth inflicting pain and damage just because it's the done thing. It's actually quite empowering to refuse and watch the receptionist's shocked faces.

Not sure if I’ve been lucky or you’re all wusses 😆 I’ve never found it painful, and I have the high water pressure thingy and manual scraping.

I don’t love it but do love the clean feeling afterwards.

I had mine cleaned on Tuesday and it was fine. Definitely not relaxing but I always opt just for cleaning with the manual tools instead of the water jet. I am a nervous patient and used to not visit the dentist or hygienist for years at a time. Which made it feel like I'd been repeatedly punched in the mouth after cleaning and loads of blood! It was basically 7 years of grime in my mouth at that point (used to brush twice a day but no using interdental brushes between the teeth daily).

A good dentist (very understanding and find him calming) and much better dental hygiene routine at home means I don't dread visiting the dentist anymore!

It is relaxing if torture is your thing.

And to add to the torture I get a side order of lecturing and chastisement about how I should be using floss on some teeth, interdental brushes and a smaller toothbrush for my back teeth. I do use them but if I followed the regime she wanted me to I'd spend half an hour cleaning my teeth!

I find the air flow procedure so much better and relaxing . No pain and quite comfortable and love the feeling of my teeth / mouth after .
I feel lucky to have such a great dentist team.
Like another poster experienced even the root canal wasn't painful.

What on earth are your hygienists doing to you? I've never had any pain at the hygienist. Our dental practice have about 5 hygienists all working part time and I've had my teeth cleaned by all of them over the years, some like using the water jet thing, others the old fashioned scraper tools. None hurt or make me bleed. Only last month, I'd had a busy day and said to DH as I was setting off to the dentist that I'm looking forward to lying down and just resting for half an hour whilst they do what they need to do with my teeth. Maybe if my gums were inflamed I would have pain but I can't imagine why there would be blood if there are no gum issues.

This is what I used to get! I would never have left the bathroom if I followed her regime!!

The pain I can tolerate fairly well, it’s the telling off that made me feel about 5 years old😩

Its definitely a generational thing, the previous hygienist with her school headmistress approach retired and the new ones are lovely and encouraging😊
Amd I’m fairly old myself but I still don’t like being told off😳

Exactly. I have had 4 kids and the dental hygienist makes me want to cry!

I'm a hygienist and reading these posts makes me feel terrible but some are also very funny!!

It's not especially relaxing but I love going, love the outcome, so much less frightening than the hairdresser!

Plus the way they give you such a bollocking that it feels like they aren’t actually your own teeth in your own body!

Seven months ago, I went to the hygienist and it was painful as I had inflamed gums. There was some blood too.

But I went back yesterday and.....nothing. No pain or blood like before. Pretty enjoyable, actually! Different hygienist but exactly the same things were done.

And my gums have massively improved in-between visits!

It helps that I use a water flosser, interdental stick and electric toothbrush daily. It really does help improve gum health.

First visit was about 40 long mins. Second visit was much shorter - no more than 25-30mins.

The difference is obviously condition of teeth and gums.

So, several of you must have inflamed gums to be in quite a bit of pain.

I had a new hygienist (for me) last week. I'm wondering whether there is a new training prgramme?

I'd had my usual check up a month previously (usually 0,1 and a couple of 2's on the gum test, which is normal), but she disagreed with that.

I had my first ever mouth injection, so she could clean my gums. I've been a patient there for 30+ years.

On the plus side, it didn't hurt!

Can you explain why I have always had the water jet thing to get rid of the build up on my teeth whereas my DH always just has his scraped off?! I find the water jet causes horrendous sensitivity around my lower front teeth; it's like electricity being used and I feel like I get electric shocks.

One hygienist said people with a lot of amalgam fillings have more sensitive teeth? Is this true?

And can I ask for the manual removal or do I HAVE to have the water jet thing??

Never mind the pain. The squealing noise from the machine is also torture

God, I love it.

Decent TV and headphones to drown out the machines. Always drugged up to the eyeballs on nitrous oxide as I am, so I've been told, the most sensitive person on the practice's list. I felt proud to be British🇬🇧

This is Melbourne.

I think the water jet thing’s quicker. My hygienist said rub neat sensodyne toothpaste onto inner lower front teeth beforehand.
Surely more bleeding is due to inflammation/bacteria? And pain is maybe more gum recession or sensitive teeth?
I absolutely hate going.

Last time I went she said to the assistant "can you get me a hand held thingy?"
Assistant "no water?!"
Hygienist "absolutely not"

I can't tolerate it at all, it's painful and like nails on a chalkboard. She says she likes having the chance to do them manually for a change

Oh and it always feels like they're going to yank my teeth out